Studies conducted earlier on the Upper Ganga

CHAPTER - 5
CONCLUSIONS
5.1 GENERAL
Studies conducted earlier on the Upper Ganga Canal to analyse water use
efficiency, productivity per unit volume of irrigation water & its comparison
with other systems of northern India or within various tracts of U.G.C. sub
system have been reviewed. These studies had been undertaken since
the beginning of 20th century. Comparison of such studies can be drawn
by studies almost a century later as depicted at Annex 4.6 & 4.6.1. The
results show that even after stabilisation of irrigation over the culturable
command area & modernised conveyance network, the vagaries of
weather, gap between demand & supply and importantly the diversified
cropping pattern and the traditional water application practices tending to
over-use rather than optimise have instead of improving, given a setback
to the field efficiency.
Vastly variable delta for a set of four continuous crop seasons on some
major distributary systems irrespective of head reach or tail reach offtakes
(eg. Jewer disty. system), show inequity in distribution and lack of proper
application in use.
Studies carried out under U.P. Consolidated Irrigation Project (U.P.C.I.P.)
& formulation of modernisation projects adopt certain losses on the lined
main canal, branch canal, distributaries & field application. These have
been compared with studies conducted now on the above components of
conveyance & distribution system. But inspite of modernisation of system,
no significant improvement in WUE is reflected because of diverse and
water intensive cropping pattern.
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Planning Commission entrusted WAPCOS with pilot study on water-use
efficiency of the Upper Ganga Canal. Analysis of field data, observations,
discharge tables on releases, deliveries at various control points,
achievements of irrigation, has been done. A comparison has been drawn
between various studies, empirical formula and scope of improvement.
This has been accomplished by analysis of losses on the conveyance &
distribution network on a number of sub-systems of Upper Ganga Canal &
an average drawn. Analysis has also been carried out for area receiving
irrigation water both from U.G.C. & W.J.C. on the Agra canal system.
5.2 ABSRACT OF LOSS & WATER USE EFFICIENCY
Average losses in the conveyance system of UGC and field application
losses on field channels & commands of outlets have been abstracted as
under & shown in Annex 4.1. Water use efficiency has been worked out
at the end of conveyance & distribution system up to head of outlet as well
as below the outlet. Studies on unlined watercourses & unlined system of
distribution and minor network have also been incorporated. The findings
are as under : -
- Losses upto end of upper main line of UGC :
Range : 0.5 to 2.6 %
Average 1.55 %
- Losses between Main canal & its cardinal control point for
distribution on UGC
Range : 2.8 % to 8.23 %
Average 6.54 %
- Losses on branches & distributaries
Average ignoring irrational data
study 1 : Range 8.31% to 15% 12.0 %
study 2 : Range3.56 % to 18% 12.5 %
Average 12.25 %
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- Losses on unlined water course
Range : 12.5 to 16.2%,
Average ignoring irrational data = 15%
- Losses on lined water course,
Range : 9 to 11 %
Average ignoring irrational data 10.5 %
- Losses on field application :
Range : 15 to 22 %
Average ignoring irrational data 18.5 %
- Plant root zone application & loss.
Range : 25%
Overall Losses
i) As per existing status of conveyance system & lined water courses
(nominal area covered) = 46 to 49%
ii) Same as above for unlined water courses = 48 to 52%
Thus overall water use efficiency varies between 33-38%.
5.3 FACTORS AFFECTING WATER USE EFFICIENCY
Field visits to expansive network of U.G.C. and discussions with the
officers of Upper Ganga Canal System both in the field as well as their
offices located at Meerut, Muzaffernagar, Haridwar, Jewer, Aligarh,
Mathura, Palwal, Okhla & Hindon revealed complexity of area specific
features, problems and constraints needing attention to bring about
improvement in the overall water-use efficiency. Factors closely related to
water use efficiency and generally applicable on the system network are
being outlined for taking ameliorative measures.
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a) Structural Defects & Avoidable Inequities
1. The regulation mechanism at head regulators needs to be
upgraded by installation of gates & gearing to implement & reduce
time lag in demand & implementation in control of releases.
The present practice of regulation through wooden needles is time
consuming; resulting in easy tampering & leakage even when head
of channel is supposed to remain closed.
2. The automation of gates & gearing and replacement of old
regulation practices is needed even on crucial points of regulation &
offtakes of distributaries from branches, cross regulators etc.
3. There is urgent need to revise discharge tables being operated at
various control points. Some of these have not been revised for
years. The silting and scouring tendency and resultant condition of
maintenance of channel thus causes overdrawal & under drawal
resulting in inequity & excessive losses.
4. The practices of allowing pipe outlets on every channel based on
area despite evolution of versatile modules like APM has no logic to
continue. Pipe outlets installed at various settings from bed to little
above, same size in fluctuating full supply levels, in head reach as
well as tail reach obviously does not deliver a fixed discharge. The
drawl also relate to difference in water level of parent channel &
water courses & even field being irrigated. This not only causes
inequity but is also easy to tamper with. Heading up by cross bunds
below such outlets was common on channels like Jewer disty.
5. Osrabandi like warabandi on WJC; is practiced on UGC, but
incorporation of transit losses for only some of the divisions,
allocation of shares & type of outlets only encourage inequity of
irrigation & lean supplies in tail divisions.
6. The discharge of offtakes plus losses or that of direct outlets;
command area on outlets & irrigation figures achieved showed
huge variation. There is urgent need to
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i) Switchover to modular outlets
ii) Frequent revision of discharge tables
iii) Revision of Water Allowances - rationally by working out
irrigation water requirement
iv) Equity in distribution based on CCA on each minor /
command
7. UGC has better availability of supplies & with control on cropping
pattern, considerable coverage can be achieved without extensive
rotational programmes. The rotational programmes notified in
various circle show that many of the minors are described as "not
likely to be fed upto tail or likely to be fed upto certain mileage
length". The channels are included in the programme of releases as
per its entitlement of C.C.A. & in designed head discharge; why
then only head reach or middle reach farmers allowed irrigation
water and tail-enders denied ? This appears contrary to canal act
provision. Equity in distribution as enshrined in the canal act,
Osrabandi & Chakbandi requires proportionate distribution amongst
all the shareholders if supply is less. Installation of pipe outlets is
the first draw back resulting in automatic inequity.
b) Operative Aspects on WUE
8. There is need to rationalize and revise the water allowance. The
water allowance has to be based on soil characteristics of
command area, Sub-soil water level conditions and cropping
pattern. It is not necessary to have the same allowance for head
reach offtakes of U.G.C. as the tail reach. It has already been
brought out that head reach farmers have better canal water
availability and high fresh water table whereas tail-enders are short
of canal water deliveries and ground water is deep & inadequate.
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This becomes necessary as augmentation of supplies through
Madhya Ganga & canal linkages have altered the scenario on
ground.
9. There is urgent need to install metre flumes for monitoring of the full
supply levels & discharge at intermediate points, installation of
gauges on piers, wingwalls of bridges & face wall of outlet &
construction of tail clusters for easy appraisal by inspecting
officers.
10. The efficiency diagram of outlets, channels & performance level of
Irrigation Division as to their productivity or non-productivity being
done earlier has become obsolate. This needs to be revived.
11. The value of water & its economics shall go home if water-rates
(Abiana) are revised & upgraded. There is need to charge
according to water-volume consumption. The user must pay for the
quantity used & polluter must pay for cost of redemption. There is
immediate need to curb entry of polluted effluents into water
bodies. The visits showed such illegal practices into Hindon cut,
Agra canal, offtakes and channels passing through urban &
industrial areas.
5.4 INEQUITY IN DISTRIBUTION & UNAUTHRORISED PRACTICES
There is high incidence of unauthorized drawal reported as a system
malady in some of the divisions as mentioned & at places confessed,
lamented but not controlled. There needs to be a mechanism to account
for every cumec of water delivered at head. The discharges released &
accounted for in offtakes do not reconcile at many places.
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Unauthorised drawal was resorted to by cutting of distributary bank,
construction of frequent bed bars & bunds across bed width downstream
of outlets, fixing pipe outlets indiscriminately at bed levels, etc. Leakages
from head regulators of closed channels, encroachment of canal banks,
silting & shoaling of bed, non-maintenance of internal section of canal to
design parameter was also vitiating hydraulics. Field Officers attributed
this to paucity of funds for maintenance.
5.5 FINANCIAL REPERCUSSIONS OF MEASURES TO IMPROVE THE
WATER-USE EFFICIENCY
(A) Measures
1. Replacement of existing regulation arrangement from wooden
needles to gates & gearing to arrest avoidable leakage, loss of time
& damage.
2. Construction of meter-flumes and installation of enamelled gauges.
3. Modernizing communication system with wireless; computer based
communication network to control supplies, avoid wastage,
mishaps and for better utilistion of available deliveries
4. Remodeling of head regulators; section of channels for drawl of
authorized discharge; drawal of proportionate silt load & upkeep of
hydraulic parameters at intervening sections.
5. Change over to modular outlets & open flume tail clusters and
outlets
6. Balancing & rationalising water rates of flow irrigation & energy
charges to optimise conjunctive use of ground water & surface
waters.
7. Integrating water management practices to encourage area specific
water application practices on the farm & introducing of micro
irrigation practices
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8. Surveillance of unauthorized irrigation & empowerment of field
functionaries.
9. Lining of water courses, minors & distributaries etc.
(B) COST ESTIMATE / FINANCIAL REPURCUSSIONS
a) Items at serial no. 1,2,3, & 9 can be covered in the ongoing project
of modernization of UGC System. What is required is prioritising
items & these 5 items should be kept in first phase.
b) Item at Sl. No. 5 should be taken up under canal act for equity in
distribution by each division & funds to the tune of Rs. 50 Lakhs per
Circle can be provided for changeover additionally to the existing
O&M funds.
c) Items 6,7, & 8 do not require funds for implementation of existing
instruction; upgrading flow rates & balancing energy charges;
taking advantage of subsidy for micro-irrigation practices & huge
incentives under CAD & other programmes to achieve the
objective.
Thus there are no financial repercussions involved in adopting
measures to improve the WUE of UGC system. The entire work can
be carried out under existing schemes by prioritizing various
measures.